1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to miniature tool kits with an illumination device, and in particular to a faux key device incorporating a hidden but accessible knife blade with a manually operable illuminating device
2. Description of the Prior Art
Miniature tool kits are well known in the art. Various devices are known which can be stored in a pant's pocket or a handbag and whose utilitarian devices remain secured until they are needed and can be manually accessed for operation.
There are many descriptions of miniature tool kits which can be held in a person's pocket or in a handbag. These include U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,875 (Painsith 2002, including among other things a pen knife), U.S. Pat. No. 5,809,600 (Cachot 1998, also having a pen knife), U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,306 (Huang 1999, screwdriver and knife), U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,451 (Seber et al., hand tool including pliers), U.S. Pat. No. 6,286,397 (Taggart et al. 2001, tool kit for use with sports equipment), U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,678 (Wang 2003. a plurality of tool kits), U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,817 (Wu 2003, a complex tool kit having two tool assemblies), U.S. Pat. No. 7,140,280 (Hawkins et al., tool kit with pivotable tools), U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,415 (Adamany et al., foldable tool kit with expandable tools), U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,856 (Legg 1996, a foldable multiple-function tool), U.S. D555,455 S (Cheng 2007, multi-function tool), D549,542 S (Chiang 2007, tool kit), D598,266 S (Rubin et al. 2009, portable tool set), D595,106 S (Rubin et al. 2009, portable tool set), U.S. Pub. 2010/0319138 A 1 (Adamany et al., a miniature tool kit with an auto-release clasp and expandable tools), U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,415 (Adamany et al. 2010, miniature tool kit with an auto-release clasp and expandable tools), D522,519 S (Rubin et al. 2006, miniature tool kit), D551,802 S (Rubin et al. 2007, miniature tool kit), U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,352 (Legg 2000, foldable tool kit) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,147 (Legg 2000, hexagonal tool bit set).
A number of these miniature tool kits have illuminating devices such as flashlights, flashers and LEDs. This group includes U.S. 2007/0182572 A1 (Rubin et al. 2007, emergency device with a flashlight and emergency flasher), US 2006/0075570 A1 (Gelfand 2006, a handheld multi-functional knife assembly with a compartment for holding foldable tools), U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,366 (Camenzind et al. 2007, a folding knife with a flashlight that can be powered by a battery or a solar cell), U.S. Pat. No. 7,008,076 (Zirk et al. 2006, a folding knife with a light that can be powered by conventional batteries, a solar-powered series of cells or a solar-charged battery), U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,415 (Adamany et al. 2010, a portable tool kit having electrically powered lamps), US 2006/0164826 A1 (Ackermann et al. 2006, a pocket lamp having a rechargeable energy-storage unit), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,698 (Wang 2002, a planer tool casing that can be held in a pocket and having one or more lights). There are also U.S. design patents that can be stored in a pocket and have an illumination device including D593,693 S (Adamany et al. 2009, a combined flashlight and docking station), D564,387 S (Rubin et al. 2008, a handheld emergency tool), D552,276 S (Shaljian 2007, a cellular phone light), D544,388 S (Chisholm 2007, an emergency light), D543,297 S (Osiecki et al. 2007, a lighting device), D525,247 S (Rubin et al. 2006, a micro-pro flash drive), D522,519 S (Rubin et al. 2006, a micro-pro flash drive), D514,063 S (Rubin et al. 2006, a micro-flashlight docking station).
There are also known in the prior art many key ring devices having different key ring assemblies and other apparatuses combined with the key rings. These include US 2003/0137833 Al (Hsu 2003, a mini-flashlight incorporated on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,415 (Adamany et al., an expandable tool kit on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 7,146,667 (Elsener 2006, a pocket tool including knife blades incorporated on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,345 (Huang 2001, a key ring structure having a disc for holding a number of key rings), U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,562 (Wolter 1999, a collective holder having a number of slidable runners each of which include a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,941 (Ping 2002, a foldable hand tool for being mounted on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,698 (Wang 2002, a planer tool casing mounted on a keychain, U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,628 (Steingass 2002, a car window breaker mounted on a keychain loop), U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,856 (Legg)996, a foldable multiple-function tool which can be mounted on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,021 (Edgin 1994, an article retaining apparatus for being mounted on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,850 (Brubaker 1992, a utility device for a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,121 (Richter 1982, a ring having a removable metal ring for the insertion and removal of keys where the ring is rotatable in a handle portion), U.S. Pat. No. 2,558,265 (Mosch 1951, a pocket utensil holder having pivotally-mounted keys), 2,412,056 (Mosch 1946, a utensil holder having pivotally-mounted keys), U.S. Pat. No. 2,371,308 (Mosch 1945, a pocket utensil holder having pivotally mounted keys), U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,262 (Martin 1925, a pocket implement mounted on a key ring), US 2010/0319138 A1 (Adamany et al. 2010, a portable tool kit mounted on a clasp), U.S. Pat. No. 7,557,720 (Rubin et al. 2009, a personal emergency device mounted on a key ring), U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,856 (Legg 1996, a foldable multi-function tool mountable on a key ring). There are also a number of U.S. design patents disclosing various devices mountable on a key ring or incorporating a key ring, including D593,693 S (Adamany et al. 2009, a combined flashlight and docking station), D575,182 S (Rubin et al. 2008, a handheld emergency tool mountable on a key ring), D522,519 S (Rubin et al. 2006, a micro-pro flash drive mountable on a key ring), D543,297 S (Osiecki et al. 2007, a lighting device incorporating a key ring) and D622,955 S (Mudrick et al. 2010, a solar-powered key ring).
Significant patents issued on a device known as a Utili-Keye key ring tool, namely U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,112,352 and D405,953 issued to Larry K. Legg on Sep. 5, 2000. The latter device incorporated an artificial key, having a pivot point in a pair of opposed head portions of two integral parts that were pivotally mounted to the pivot point. One integral portion had a head portion with an extending flat screwdriver head on one side of the pivot and an elongated portion with a serrated knife blade and an adjacent straight knife blade. The latter blades were only exposed when the second part of the key ring tool was pivoted to an open position about the pivot point. The other portion had a Phillips screwdriver defining a free end of the second integral portion to which was mounted a bottle opener. Also on the second portion was a micro eyeglass screwdriver. The latter device was similar to that of the present invention, at least as to the extent that they both incorporated an artificial or faux key, but the respective constructions are quite different.